Photographic-printing frame.



J. S. HIGGENS.

PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINTING FRAME.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 16, 1912.

Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

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PHOTOGRAPHIC-PRINTING FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

Application filed March 16, 1912. Serial N 0. 684,261.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. HIGGENS, residing at Auburn, in the county of Androscoggin and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Photographic-Printing Frames, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in photographic printing frames, and partlcularly to that class of frames used in the operation technically known as exposing developing paper, or successively printing from one or two negatives, making second ary negatives or positives and similar work; and my primary object is to provide a frame with a hinged back-board in two parts for convenience in inserting negatives and printing paper and accurately adgustmg them in relation to each other, for the above purposes.

A further object is to provide means whereby the hinged back-board may be closed and locked at practically one movement and automatically raised to a position entirely out of the way of the hands of the operator, and of the negatives or paper to be handled, as soon as the pressure upon it has been released.

I accomplish these objects by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan of the back of my printing frame showing the back-board closed; Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line b b showing the backboard open; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line a, a; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line :0 w, and Fig. 5 is a cross section on an enlarged scale showing the construction and connection of the operating springs.

Similar reference letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A A are the end pieces of the usual rectangular frame, of the cross section shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and having finger holds Z Z formed in the outer surfaces for convenience in lifting the frame from a fiat surface, as a table.

B is the front piece of the frame, of the cross section shown in Fig. 2. C is the rear piece of said frame, shown in the cross section in Fig. 2. The inclined surface 0 will be particularly referred to later.

The inner edges of the frame A B C are rabbeted out to receive the glass plate or negative D in the usual manner. The bar B is cut away so that its top surface is slightly below the top surface of the negative, whereby the print paper is readily withdrawn by sliding it off over the bar B, and thus avoiding the necessity of picking it up ofi the surface of the negative.

E and F are the two portions of the backboard, attached to the piece C of the frame by means of the double-jointed hinges G G, which also form a hinged connection between the two sections E and F of the backboard. VVhen closed the back-boards E F hold the print paper in close contact with the negative by means of the pressure of the interlocked actuating springs K L pressing in the center of the back-board E, and the force of the spring clamp H upon the backboard F. The spring clamp H is confined within proper limits by the clips h it. Its position when the back-boards E F are open is shown by dotted lines in Fig. l.

The double hinges G G are made slightly flexible by being cut through at g, forming the tongue (Z which is held firmly by a screw, as shown, while the portion between this point and the hinge member firmly fixed to the frame piece C has a slight motion limited by the head of the screw 6. This in connection with the inclined surface a of the bar C, is for the purpose of permitting the use of either one or two negatives and still maintaining an equal pressure over their entire surface.

The actuating springs K L are formed separately, their ends coiled around the pin 7c fixed in downwardly projecting lugs on the plate m and interlocked as shown at Z in Fig. 5, formed in lozenge shape, the opposite side being held by the clips n 0, secured respectively to the frame-piece C and backboard F. By this means while each spring is adapted to act independently, yet when the spring clamp H is released the spring K exercises considerable force upon the spring L in its ofiice of raising the back-board F, and later automatically raises both backboards E and F to the position shown in Fig. 2, and sustains them in that position.

In printing the print paper is arranged and held in position on the negative of film with, say the right hand while the left hand partially closes the back-board until section E is pressed down flat upon the paper, while section F is in a nearly vertical position. When section E is closing the spring hinge Gr temporarily prevents excessive pressure of the corner 2' of the back-board E, (Fig.

2), from moving the paper out of position and into the frame in case the hand is not holding it firmly in place. Section F is now pressed down in place and firmly secured by the spring clamp H, the ends passing under the inclined edges 7' of the plates J, J, as already described. When section F is closed the interlocked actuating springs K L are drawn out thus exerting a strong downward pressure at the point 75 in the center of section E and quite overcoming the slight upward pressure of the spring hinge Gr. It will be noticed that the edge of section E is grooved and that of section F provided with a tongue accurately fitting it as at y y, Fig. 2, so that when the two sections are closed their lower faces will be in perfect alinement. Upon releasing the spring clamp H, the actuating springs K L auotmat-ically raise the back-board sections E F to the position shown in Fig. 2, out of the way so that the exposed paper may be readily withdrawn from the frame.

I am aware that printing frames have been made with divided back-boards hinged to the frame proper. But these have been divided transversely rather than longitudinally, as in my device, which I consider more practical. Again, proper means have not been provided for equal pressure under the extra thickness of a second negative. My flexible hinges provide for this.

The finger holds Z Z in the sides A A make it not only more convenient to lift from a fiat surface, but lessen the liability of getting the finger tips around in front of the negative in case the frame during exposure is held in the hands toward the source of light.

In other printing frames the paper after exposure must be lifted from the frame by inserting the finger nail under one end or by doubling up the paper, which latter method tends to leave it bent, thus making it more dilficult to plunge it beneath the surface of the developing solution. In my device the negative is practically flush with the top surface of the side bar so that the paper may be easily slid out of the frame by drawing it with the fingers toward the operator.

Usually the clamping springs in a printing frame are permitted to turn freely upon the central pivot and therefore are awkward to handle, in addition to which both ends of each must be pressed down to pass under the locking plates, taking a longer time to operate. In my device the pair of wire actuating springs acting in conjunction with the spring clamp require but a single move ment to lock or to unlock, and the clamping spring never gets in the way.

Having thus described my invention and pointed out its p -actical advantages, I claim:

1. A photographic printing frame consisting of a frame adapted to receive one or more glass plates or negatives, having one side bar cut down to the level of the top of the negative, a back-board divided longitudinally to said frame, the first section of said back-board hinged to said frame and the two sections hinged to each other, means for clamping said back-board down upon said negatives and releasing the same, a wire spring connected with said frame and to the first section of said back-board, and adapted to open the same, a wire spring connected to said first and second sections of said back-board and adapted. to fold the second section back upon the first section, one end of each of said springs being coiled around a pin fixed to said first section of backboard and said springs so interlocked as to operate in conjunction with each other in the manner and for the purposes specified.

2. In a photographic printing frame consisting essentially of a frame proper adapted to receive one or more negatives, and having a back-board hinged to said frame, metallic hinges each of which has a portion cut through so as to form a tongue fixed to said back-board while the main portion of said hinge remains flexible, means for confining the flexible movements within narrow limits adapting it to permit the use of one or two negatives, substantially as and for the pur poses set forth.

3. In a photographic printing frame consisting of a frame proper, adapted to receive one or more negatives and provided with a longitudinally divided back-board hinged thereto, means for forcing said back-board in contact with said negative and locking the same, in combination with actuating springs of lozenge or elliptic form both free ends of each spring coiled around a rod fixed to the first section of said back-board and inter-locked with each other, the central part of one spring connected with the side piece of said frame and the central part of the other spring connected with the second section of said back-board, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a photographic printing frame the combination of a frame proper adapted to hold negatives, and having finger hold spaces formed'in the end pieces thereof, with a back-board divided longitudinally, the first section hinged to said frame and the second section hinged to the first, two wire actuating springs of lozenge or elliptical form both free ends of each spring coiled around a rod fixed to the first section of said back-board tives, substantially as and for the purposes and inEerlocked with each otler, tlllle central set forth.

part 0 one spring connects Wit the side piece of said frame and the central part of JOHN HIGGENS' the other spring connected With the second Witnesses:

section of said back-board, and means for RENA P. ADKINs,

clamping said back-board upon said nega- SETH MAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

